Boosting provision and capacity to deliver apprenticeship targets

NHS Southwark has recruited over 50 apprentices following a unique ‘Customer Care’ awareness session focused on improving the patient experience, which recreated scenarios using actors. Twenty per cent of recruits are from bands 1-4 staff, supporting the organisation’s Skills Pledge to upskill employees and encourage personal development.  There was a positive response to the training, as one delegate commented:

“This training was the best I have ever been on. I really feel that I have a greater understanding of how our patients see our service.”

Using a joined up approach and imaginative methods of recruitment is bringing impressive results, and Skills for Health is delighted that hundreds of recruits will soon be benefiting from high quality training and development that will help them launch a new career in the health sector.

NHS organisations in London are well on the way to exceeding the target of 600 apprentice starts before end of March 2010.

It’s in part thanks to a joined up approach between partners such as the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), NHS London, London Brokerage Limited, Skills for Health and the Skills Academy for Health. They have capitalised on the momentum from recent Skills for Health apprenticeship events in London and work to build capacity of assessors through the London Assessor Project.

Around 700 apprentices are expected to be in place before the end of the financial year, working in a wide variety of areas from clinical roles to business administration and customer services.

David Jackson, the National Apprenticeship Service’s Employer Services Manager London Region, explains how growing the support infrastructure has been an important factor in turning targets on paper into apprentices in the workplace:
“The diversity of frameworks which can be used in healthcare organisations is growing regularly, and many employers are making the most of support through Apprenticeship Training Agencies and Group Training Association provision. In London, we have recently agreed successful providers who are geared to quickly make an impact on the apprenticeship delivery needs of NHS organisations.”

There has been a significant increase in apprenticeship places following awareness raising road shows held to coincide with the Apprenticeship Week. At Guy’s Hospital alone, demand for places rose from 40 to around 150 potential starts.

The London Apprenticeship Company is working with London based NHS organisations, to deliver 30 posts in areas such as Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Health Care, Business and Administration.

Learning World Group is helping to recruit up to 20 Business and Administration apprentices to work at three hospital sites in Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

NHS Southwark has recruited 46 apprentices following a unique ‘Customer Care’ awareness session focused on improving the patient experience, which recreated scenarios using actors. Twenty per cent of recruits are from bands 1-4 staff, supporting the organisation’s Skills Pledge to upskill employees and encourage personal development.  There was a positive response to the training, as one delegate commented,

“This training was the best I have ever been on. I really feel that I have a greater understanding of how our patients see our service.”

Using a joined up approach and imaginative methods of recruitment is bringing impressive results, and Skills for Health is delighted that hundreds of recruits will soon be benefiting from high quality training and development that will help them launch a new career in the health sector.

Celebrating progress, success and best practice We hope you can join us at our next apprenticeship event in February 2010. See the events section for more details.